The Red Journey

Great start, love this story!

@Arvind - Yeah, the Spartak game was the highlight of my season, definitely.
@Walter - Thanks yeah, I'm happy with it
@Hamoudi- Thanks mate

Former captain and club icon, Nenad Milijas, has finally left the club, after a window where he was stripped of his captaincy. Milijas, who was in his 2nd spell at the club, is one of the fans favourite players, during his original spell, when he was a key starter and was an essential part of their team, and after his return to the club from Wolves, since when he was appointed club captain, and has again slotted into their side with ease.

However, since Robert Prosine?ki took over as head coach, he has fallen heavily out of favour, as has been not only been forced to play on the bench, but more importantly, he has been stripped of his captaincy. The decision was the new boss’ first major action in the role, and cause some fans to be distressed, as he was a club icon, and one of the big ‘faces’ of the club. The results that Red Star have achieved without him though, speak for themselves, especially their results in Europe, and when it was announced that Robert was available for transfer, they weren’t as disappointed.

The deal sees the 30 year old move for 425K to Dutch side, sc Heerenveen. It was confirmed on Red Star’s website by this statement, written personally by Robert Prosine?ki.

‘I would like to thank Nenad for his invaluable services to the club, and wish him all the best at his new club. We both mutually agreed, that is was best for him to leave the club, as I couldn’t give him as much game time as he wanted, and at his age, I did not want to waste the rest of his career by playing him as a substitute. As a former captain, I would like to, on behalf of the rest of the team, thank him for leading the squad, and being the strong figure in the dressing room, when everything seemed lost.’

The player, who has signed a 3 year deal, which sees him earning 8.75K per week, was reportedly very unhappy at the club, as he felt that he wasn’t being given a fair shot to keep his captaincy and his place in the team. He also had a big disagreement with Prosine?ki, which was the final straw for him, and he decided it was time for him to leave. He also released a statement.

‘I would like to thank Red Star, the club and its great fans have a very special place in my heart, and I will always be an avid follower. However, for the sake of my career, I painfully had to make the decision to leave the club, as I felt that my game time would be severely hindered if I stayed, and also, I felt that I needed a new challenge in my career. I place no blame on Robert, he did what he had to do as manager, and I still enjoyed a good time with him, and I hope we will remain in contact. I will also still be good friends with the rest of the team there, many of whom I have become very close with. Finally, I would like to thank the fans for supporting me through my time, through my ups and downs, and always being there for me, and never turning your back on me. Your support drove me to be the best possible me, and I am very grateful. I am looking forward to my new journey here in Holland, and while I will miss everything and everyone at Red Star, I am starting a new chapter of my life now.’

That's some big cash for you, and I know it ;P.. Use it wisely!

@Pauker - Yeah, its a decent amount for a 30 year old, It'll be hard to spend it, as its late in the window, but I'll try

Red Star Belgrade completed a very late deal to capture the loan signing of Ivorian left winger, Franck Dja Djedje. The 27 year old will join the club until the end of the season, when he will return to his original club, Chornomorets, a club situated in Ukraine. The deal was completed very late on last night, and there were serious worries that the player would not be able to get to the stadium to sign to deal, but after some quick negotiating, the deal was eventually confirmed.

The talented winger, who is the brother of fellow footballer Brice Dja Djedje, can play across the attacking midfield areas, with his preference to be playing on the left. He is mainly brought in as cover to 20 year old star, Luka Milunovic. Dja Djedje started his career off in France, as a hot youth prospect for PSG. However, a lack of first team chances, led him to being sold to Ligue 2 side, GF 38. At the lower level, he made an instant impact, being their star player as they were promoted in his first season at the club. The club unfortunately ran into financial troubles, and had to sell him because of his wages, and he yet again moved down, back to Ligue 2, this time to RC Strasbourg Alsace. He found it hard to settle it to the team, and didn’t break into the team, resulting in him being loaned out, and then being sold in January of the 10/11 season to relegation threatened, AC Aris-Avignon, ad he was unable to save them. The next season was torrid for the player, as he only made 3 appearances due to injury, and his career seemed to have stagnated. However, when all seemed lost, a bid came in from OGC Nice, a Ligue 1 side, which was accepted and he found himself starting consistently and playing well, making him much happier. In the 13/14 season he was sold to current club Chornomoret for 245K.

Regarding the transfer, the manager, Robert Prosinečki, has commented this morning, with this statement.

‘I am very pleased with the deal, Franck is a great player, who can offer a lot to our squad, with his experience. He is very capable on the wings, as he has lots of pace and is a hard worker, both qualities which I was looking for. I have high hopes for him this season, and I hope he will be a key member of our squad.’

Fans were intrigued by the deal, as they didn’t know much about the player, but many feel that there is no harm done, as it is only a loan deal, and they hope he can help their title challenge. Only time will tell whether this deal will work out for the club, as they challenge in Europa and in their domestic league.

If he's a great player, why is back-up for Milunovic :P?

A Tanay story, hmmmm... I like it!

@Pauker - My team is just that good
@NVDTahir - NAVEED! And thanks

Despite a plethora of late bids for his best players, Red Star manager, Robert Prosinečki, has managed to keep hold of all of them, much to the delight of the fans, who are now saying that this is the year where they overthrow Partizan as the best club in Serbia, a title which Red Star’s eternal rivals have held for 6 years.

Russian side Anji Makhachkala were the first team to show an interest in one of Red Star’s player, as they made a £1.1M offer for 22 year old right back Marko Vesovic. Vesovic has been very solid at the back for Red Star, earning a Player of the Match award already, in the 4 league games he has started in. The bid was reportedly immediately turned down, as the club felt they would require a lot more for him, as they couldn’t replace him at this late stage and the deal would not be worth it.

The nest transfer bid that came into the club was for 19 year old central attacking midfielder, Vukan Savicevic. The young Serbian, who has been playing in the first team recently, after the club’s main CAM, Milos Ninkovic was injured in the Europa League Playoff tie with Spartak Moscow, and has impressed critics and fans alike with good performances. This attracted the attention of Russian side, Locomotiv Moscow for £2M. While the offer was fairly attractive, Red Star didn’t want to let the player go as they believed he has a bright future.

The 3rd player who was bid for late on in this window for Red Star was Filip Kasalica. The Montenegrin was the most sought after player, with 4 clubs making an offer to sign him, with a further 4 clubs interested in him. The clubs that did make an official bid included Mallorca, EAG, Freiburg and Nuremberg. Kasalica has been Red Star’s standout performer this season, and has scored a stunning 6 goals in his 4 league games, and 10 goals in his 10 appearances in all competitions. This early form was totally unexpected by both the fans and the manager, who was looking to buy another striker at the beginning of the season. Of the bids, Freiburg made the highest one of £1.1M. This was laughed off by Red Star, who stated publicly, that ‘Even for ten times that we wouldn’t sell him’. This resulted in an extremely late bid for him for a fee reported to be around £2.4M from Viktoria Plzen, which was again, dismissed instantly.

The final Red Star star that was bid for, was left attacking midfielder, Luka Milunovic. The 20 year old is widely considered as one of the brightest young players in Serbia at the moment, and when Bursaspor and Kobenhavn both made bids of £2.1M, they were immediately rejected. The youngster is Red Star’s 2nd highest assister this season, just behind Milos Ninkovic, and with a contract that runs out in the middle of next season, the club will definitely be looking to tie him down to a long-term contract soon.

The draw for the group stages of the Europa League was made today, alongside the draw for the Champions League, and it throws up some very intriguing ties. The first set of fixtures will be played on the 18th of September, with as usual, each team playing a total of 6 games, 3 at home, and 3 away, with the top two progressing to the next round.


Group A has one of the competitions favourites, English side Tottenham Hotspur. The London club should easily claim top spot in their group, boasting a team with players such as Sandro, Lloris, Eriksen and Lamela. Danish side Nordsjælland look to be the best bet for 2nd place, but both Lech and Tel-Aviv could potentially challenge them.


Group B has another big club, this time, Spanish club Valencia, who have a very strong side, one which should have no troubles winning their group. German side Freiburg will most likely come 2nd, with Molde and Zurich not looking to threaten them.


Group C looks to be a two horse race, to see who finishes 1st, and who finishes 2nd. Portuguese side Braga and Belgian side Genk have the two strongest sides on paper, and both of them will be expecting to progress to the next round. Polish Legia are expected to finish 3rd, as they are unlikely to threaten those two sides at the top of the group, but will not be challenged by Bulgarian side Beroe, who are one of the weakest teams on paper.


Group D looks to be one of the clearest groups in terms of who is going to qualify, with most people expecting Russian giants Zenit to progress in first place, and Greek side PAOK to come in 2nd. Rapid Wien could potentially mount a challenge on them, but barring some shock results, it is unlikely they will qualify. Vardar look to the clear outsiders, with no-one giving them a chance to finish higher than 4th in their group.


Group E is one of the closest groups, with all four sides capable of getting through to the next round. Spanish side Real Betis are slight favourites, but will be challenged by Celtic and Bursaspor, both who have solid teams capable of topping this group. Grasshoppers, while looking on paper the weakest side, are very capable of pulling off some upsets, which could massively affect the outcome.


Group F is another mouth-watering group, with all the sides equally believing they can progress. Mega-rich Anji had a mass clear-out after they failed to win the league last season, but still have a strong squad, including the likes of Jucilei. French side Bordeaux won their cup to get here, and will also be well in the mix for top spot. English side Wigan, who had a roller-coaster ride last season, winning the cup to get into Europe, before being heart wrenchingly relegated into the 2nd flight of English football. They will still provide a stern test for their opponents, and will be in the mix for qualification. The final side in this group is Metalurg D, a side which, despite having the weakest team, still could fight in this tough group.


Group G looks to be a three horse race, with Partizan and Club Brugge the two favourites to progress, due to the depth and strength if their squads in comparison. However, Portuguese side Pacos Ferreira will be doing their best to win their games, and will be up there, right until the end. Hungarian side Gyor are also in this group, but they won’t be expecting to qualify or get many points, but rather use this as experience for their players.


Group H is another very tough group, containing several big sides. Italian side Lazio are favourites to top the group; with a strong side which is experienced at this level, they shouldn’t have too much of a problem getting through. The other spot is up for grabs, with German team Stuttgart and Dutch side Feyenoord, both of whom have an equal chance of progressing. The last team in this group is Hajduk, who are less experienced at this stage, and will not be expecting much in terms of success in this competition, with getting through the Qualifying Rounds a great achievement by their standards.


Group I is very much a two horse race, between PSV and Dnipro. Both sides have got to this stage in the past, and both will be expected to progress from their relatively easy group, but it will be the games between these two that will decide who finished top, and who comes 2nd. The other two sides in the group are Slovan Liberec and Maacabi Haifa, neither of whom have a chance of progression, baring something special.


Group J is one of the weakest groups in the competitions in terms of quality. Dutch side AZ are slight favourites to progress, but either of the other 3 teams could potentially have a chance. Red Bull Salzburg have a young team, which will benefit greatly from this experience, and could go through if they pull together. Portuguese side Vit. Guimaras, are the 3rd side in contention for qualification form this group, and after an impressive domestic campaign last year, are blighted by financial problems, but still have a god chance to qualify. The final side, Ludogorets, while being vast underdogs, can pull off some upsets, shown after they beat the likes of Viktoria Plzen to get to this stage.


Group K is another group where 2 teams are the expected the progress, and the other two teams will be pleased if they get a decent amount of points and some experience. Ukrainian side, Dyanamo Kiev will be the bookmaker’s favourites to top the group, with French team, OGC Nice expected to come in just behind them. Nice could face a challenge from Austria Wien, whose squad could potentially mount a challenge to qualify. The last club in this group is APOEL Nicosia, whose expectations will be much lower than the other teams, due to their lack of squad depth and quality to handle both a domestic and continental campaign.


Group L is the final group of this year’s Europa League, and it is also the group many are pinning the ‘group of death’. While the other groups have thrown up some fascinating ties, this one sticks out on paper, containing 3 strong, capable sides. Two of the favourites for the whole title are in this group, English side Swansea City, whose ranks include the likes of Wilfred Bony and Michu, and Sevilla, winner of this competition 5 years ago, with a very experienced and dangerous side at this level. French side AS Saint-Etienne are also part of this deadly group, and they will be hoping to snatch a few results here and there in order to progress. The final side involved are huge outsiders, Red Star Belgrade. While the Serbians have started well in their domestic league, their team is both inexperienced and unproven, meaning their main objective will be just to avoid humiliation In their ties.

Sevilla are a tough team to beat, but if you manage to get results against ASSE and Swansea you could see yourself through that group

Didn't read mate but looks very nice design and smooth for read. Good luck mate!

@Arvind - Yeah, Sevilla are the heavyweights for sure, but Swansea and ASSE are no pushovers
@Diazepamll - Thanks mate

Red Star Belgrade looked unstoppable in their last two league games, after they collected 6 points, which sees them at the top of the league table at this early stage. The first game, the club’s first after the end of the transfer window and the international break, was a trip to play Vojvodina, while the second game saw Red Star destroy Novi Pazar at home.


The first match, which was played at the Karadjordje Stadium, was the first appearance of new loan signing, Franck Dja Djedje, who started the game on the right wing. Red Star started brightly, and were on the front foot early on, when their in-form star Filip Kasalica, hit a curling free kick past the keeper’s grasp to make it 1-0 after 7 minutes. After the goal, Vojvodina tried to press for an equaliser, but could not break down Red Star’s solid defence in the first half. However, at the start of the second half, a quick counter attack led to a ball being played through to striker Andrija Kaludjerovic who slid the ball into the back of the net. Red Star players were left furious as they believed the goal was offside, and replays later showed them to be correct. Both sides were now pushing for the winner, and as the game became more open, more chances were created. One of these was when Savicevic found himself unmarked on the edge of the box, and turned to shoot when a late challenge from Vujacic got Red Star a penalty. Araujo took it, and scored, to give his side the lead. From that point Red Star began to dominate, but their spirits were dampened when a potentially season threating injury was inflicted upon Filip Mladenovic. Despite this, they were able to score again late on, after striker Onyilo hit an accurate half volley to seal the game for his side. The match ended 3-1.


The second game was a home fixture against one of this season’s overachievers, Novi Pazar. The game was expected by most to be a fairly close affair, due to the quality of Red Star’s team, and the form Pazar were in, but the game was anything but close. It took just 2 minutes for Red Star to get their first goal, a good move was broken down by a foul inside the box by Pazar defender Kecap, and the resulting penalty was turned in by Savicevic. Red Star continued to hold most of the possession, and by 18 minutes, the score was 2-0, after Onyilo met sweetly with a cross and volleyed home. While the home side continued to press, they could not break through the Pazar lines for the rest of the half. The second half started much like the first, with Red Star looking extremely threatening, and this culminated in a third goal after a great strike from outside the box from Kovacevic. Pazar finally managed to get a foothold in the game, and looked to be playing better in both attack and defence, playing for dignity. This was until the 81st minute, when an ambitious effort from right back Lazic found its way into the back of the net after the keeper failed to guard his near post well. Red Star finished the game in style, with the best goal of the lot, after new loan signing, Dja Djedje hit a long, powerful shot from about 35 yards, which beat the keeper, and flew into the top corner to give him his first goal for Red Star. The match ended 5-0, and displayed some of the great teamwork at Red Star, as well as some of the star players, who stepped in well to do the job while top scorer, Filip Kasalica was rested.